Ep 115: The Archibald Winners

Scroll down for transcript If you’ve been listening to this podcast over the years, you would probably know I’m a self-confessed Archibald tragic. I'm fascinated by the depiction of the human face and figure in paint and that is exactly what the prize celebrates each year at the Art Gallery of NSW. The Archibald Prize is Australia's most famous portrait prize and is now in its 100th year. This episode is a compilation of clips from my conversations with Archibald winners where they talk about how they felt about winning, what it did for their career or about the painting itself. I've also included a clip from my conversation with biographer Scott Bevan where we talked about what was arguably the most controversial Archibald win - the 1943 winning portrait by William Dobell of fellow artist Joshua Smith. To hear the podcast episode click 'play' beneath the above photo. Scroll down for the transcript. See below for a list of podcast guests, the year they won the prize and their portraits. Click on the name to go to the full interview. Guy Warren  1985 Davida Allen  1986 William Robinson  1987 and 1995 Francis Giacco  1994 Wendy Sharpe  1996 Lewis Miller   1998 Euan Macleod 1999 Nicholas Harding  2001 Del Kathryn Barton 2008 and 2013 Guido Maestri 2009 Ben Quilty 2011 Tim Storrier  2012 Louise Hearman 2016 Tony Costa 2019 Vincent Namatjira 2020 Peter Wegner 2021 Scott Bevan 'Archie 100' exhibition - Art Gallery of NSW Guy Warren ‘Flugelman with Wingman’, 1985, oil on canvas, 225 x 178cmWinner of the Archibald Prize 1985Image: Art Gallery of NSW website Davida Allen ‘Dr John Arthur Mckelvie Shera’, 1986, oil on canvas, 230.5 x 187cmWinner, 1986 Archibald Prize, AGNSWImage: Art Gallery of NSW website William Robinson  ‘Self-portrait with stunned mullet’, 1994, oil on linen, 197 x 164cmWinner Archibald Prize 1995QUT Art Collection. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by William Robinson, 2011. William Robinson  ‘Equestrian self-portrait’, 1987, oil on linen, 141 x 192cmWinner Archibald Prize 1987QUT Art Collection. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by William Robinson, 2011  Francis Giacco ‘Homage to John Reichard’ (1994) oil on marine ply 202cm x 188cmImage: Art Gallery of NSW website Wendy Sharpe: ‘Self portrait – as Diana of Erskineville’, 1996, oil on canvas, 210 x 172cm, winner of Archibald prize 1996.Image: Art Gallery of NSW website Lewis Miller: ‘Portrait of Allan Mitelman no 3’, 1998, oil and charcoal on canvas, 213.4 x 183cmImage: Art Gallery of NSW website Euan Macleod: ‘Self-portrait: head like a hole’ 1999 oil on canvas 180 x 137cmImage: Art Gallery of NSW website Nicholas Harding: ‘John Bell as King Lear’, 2001, oil on canvas on board, 177 x 105cm (winner Archibald Prize 2001)Image: Art Gallery of NSW website ‘you are what is most beautiful about me, a self portrait with Kell and Arella’ 2008, synthetic polymer paint, watercolour, gouache and pen on polyester canvas, 280 x 180cm (winner Archibald Prize 2008)Image: Art Gallery of NSW website ‘hugo’, 2013, watercolour, gouache and acrylic on canvas, 200 x 180cm (winner Archibald Prize 2013)Image: Art Gallery of NSW website Guido Maestri: ‘Dr Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’, 2009, oil on linen, 203 x 172.4cmWinner Archibald Prize 2009, Art Gallery of NSWCollection: National Portrait Gallery, Australia Ben Quilty: ‘Margaret Olley’, 2011, oil on linen, 170 x 150cmWinner Archibald Prize 2011Photo: AGNSW Tim Storrier: The Histrionic Wayfarer (after Bosch), 2012, acrylic on canvas, 182 x 122 cm Winner Archibald Prize 2012Photo: Art Gallery of NSW website Louise Hearman: ‘Barry’ (2016) oil on masonite 69.5cm x 100cmPhoto: Art Gallery of NSW website Tony Costa: 'Lindy Lee',